Loco-exterminator.



N0. 698,7I5. Patented Aim 29, I902.

J. KNIGHT. Loco EXTERMINATDR.

(Application filed July 25, 1901.)

(No Model.)

removed, no matter to what Nrrn STATES JOHN KNIGHT, OF CANYON, TEXAS.

LOCO-EXTERMINATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 698,715, dated April29, 1902.

Application filed July 25,1901. Serial No. 69,697.

(No model.)

To (oZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, JOHN KNIGHT, a citizen of the United States,residing at Canyon, in

the county of Randall and State of Texas, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Loco-Exterminators; and I do hereby declare thefollowing to be afull, clear, and exact description of the invention,such as will enable others skilledin the art to which it appertains tomake and use the same.

Loco and kindred rank growths are difficult to eradicate, because theroot penetrates the ground to a great depth and when pulling up theplant a small portion only of the root is removed, the part remainingthrowing up shoots either stronger or more numerous than the plantremoved. This invention provides an implement which will enable theplant, root and all, or asufficiently large portion of the root forpreventing future growths, to be depth the root may have penetrated,thereby completely extirpating the weed.

Theimplement consists, essentially, of a bit or blade attached to a longhandle and having a lateral extension forming a rest for the.

foot to obtain a purchase upon when it is required to force the bit orblade into the ground, said bit or blade being cleft from thepenetrating edge upward, so as to extend upon each side of the rootbelow the stool, the root and plant being extracted by using the tool asa pry, the said lateral extension or footrest serving as a fulcrum.

For a full description of the invention and the merits thereof and alsoto acquire a knowledge of the details of construction of the means foreffecting the result reference is to be had to the following descriptionand drawings hereto attached.

While the essential and characteristic features of the invention aresusceptible of modification, still the preferred embodiment of theinvention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure1 is a perspective view showing the application of theinvention. Fig. 2is a front view of the implement, the upper end of the handle beingbroken away. Fig. V5 is a side elevation.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the followingdescription and indicated in the views of the drawings by the same reference characters.

The implement comprises a bit or blade and an operating-handle, andthese parts may be integrally or separately formed and combined in anydesired way. It is preferred to form the bit separate from the handle,thereby admitting of the latter being constructed of wood and the bitmanufactured of steel or other metal.

The bit or blader l may be of any desired length and width and ispreferably long and narrow and tapering in thickness. A cleft 2is-formed in the bit or blade and extends inward from the penetratingedge, which latter is sharpened to a chisel edge, so as to readilypenetratethe soil when in activeoperation. The cleft 2'tapers toward itsinner end and is adapted to receive the rootof the weed or other plantto be extirpated. The bit or blade is formed with a shank'3, by means ofwhich it is attached to the operating-handle 4c, and this shank has alateral'extension 5 to form a foot-rest, upon which pressure is appliedby means of the foot when itis required to force the bit or blade intothe ground. Thislateral, extension- 5 consists of. a crossbar andprojects from each side of theshank and handle to enable the blade to beforced into the ground by either foot. The bit or blade 1 inclinesslightly from the shank or operating-handle, so as to facilitate the useof the implement as a pry when extracting the weed or other plant to" beeradicated. The operating-handle 4 is provided at its upper end with agrip 6 forthe hand. The bit or blade is secured to the handle throughthe instrumentality of the shank 3 and rivets or bolts, the latterpassing through corresponding openings in the handleand shank.

The size of the bit or blade and theoperatlug-handle will depend uponthe particular use of the implement, and when strong plants are to beextracted and extirpated these parts must be sufficiently stout towithstand the strain, and the handle must be of a length to provideample leverage for the easy manipulation of the tool when used as a pryfor re moving the plants. hen the weed or plant is of the species knownas loco, the bit or blade is sunk into the ground at one side of theplant a short distance from the root, so

that when bearing down upon the upper end of the handle 4 the root ofthe loco will enter the cleft 2 and the spaced portions of the bit orblade will come beneath the stool upon each side of the root, therebyloosening and withdrawing the root as the outer end of the handle isborne toward the ground. The stool of the plant acts as a head andenables the bit or blade to obtain a firm grip upon the root, which isgradually and forcibly extracted as the implement is used to pry thesame from the ground.

This tool is also exceedingly practical and useful in thinning corn orsimilar plants, as

well as for stripping suckers from corn.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is Animplement for ext-irpating loco and ex- 1 tracting plants by the root,the same consistfrom the blade at an inclination and fastened to a sideof the handle, and transverselyalined extensions projected laterallyfrom the shank at a point between its ends to form foot-rests and afulcrum for the implement to turn upon, said rests, blade and shankbeing integrally formed, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN KNIGHT. [L. s.] Witnesses:

W. O. BAIRD, J. I. CAMPBELL.

